Hotel refuses to accept responsibility after man's wife with prawn allergy nearly dies from buffet

[Lacessit]

Thankfully, I don't have any serious allergies.

I knew a health inspector in Western Australia who became extremely sensitized to all forms of crustaceans. He only had to be downwind of a processing shed for his face to swell up like a balloon.

[San Fran Dan]

You re on your own in this Country 

[RichardColeman]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The hotel refused to have their insurance pay saying there was no legal requirement to display ingredients at a buffet and it was the customer's responsibility.

Right, no need to add 'May Contain Poison' !

[Thunglom]

6 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

She, the one doing the eating,  didn't know what a prawn looks like?

there is someone who clearly has eaten prawn in Thailand without knowing it.

[Mr Meeseeks]

7 hours ago, bbko said:

She was given sugar?? ????

 

I know in the states, those with severe allergies carry a "Epipen", it's a self injected shot of epinephrine used in life saving emergencies just like the lady had, are they not available in Thailand?

They are available here. If you have severe allergies to certain things you really should be carrying one with you at all times especially at food buffets and restaurants.

[Mr Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, SeaMike01 said:

Thais will sometimes answer 'yes' to everything. Even if they have no idea or don't understand what's being asked.

Yes.

[Iamfalang]

Try the Surf and Turf.  

 

I'm vegan and will die if I eat anything called Surf or Turf or Lobster or any meat or anything on a plate!!!  

 

Special Price, 200 baht.

 

OK.  

 

 

[Jimbo53]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It sounds like it might have been one of those funky Thai salads with dried prawn in it, and made with a sauce or dressing with dried prawns. Could have also been an oyster or fish sauce. Anyone with an allergy to seafood, having been born here in Thailand should know better than to eat something like this. 

Which part of the 'whole prawn' did you not understand?

[richard_smith237]

21 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

Try the Surf and Turf.  

 

I'm vegan and will die if I eat anything called Surf or Turf or Lobster or any meat or anything on a plate!!!  

 

Special Price, 200 baht.

 

OK.  

 

 

 

I'm the same with Tofu.....    I have a strong reaction to it... 

 

Whenever I’ve accidentally had Tofu I shout out “urghghhh... What the <deleted> was that !!”.... its terribly embarrassing at times !!!  ????

 

 

[PaoloR]

3 hours ago, StevieAus said:

I would have thought that with that sort of allergy you would carry one with you

Had a friend now deceased who had allergy to any type of prawns shell fish etc.

they travelled world wide but never without it.

Epipens are banned in parts of Thailand - they were being emptied and the epinephrine used to make Yaba 

(epinephrine can be a precursor for methamphetamine)

Hospitals, doctors etc. will not provide one here  (I live in the South). I have to carry one at all times following hornet stings here in Thailand. I now go into anaphylactic shock if stung by a number of different creatures. (Thank goodness not scorpions as we have lots here and I have been stung a number of times). I really should ignore the no shoes in the house rule when taking my nightly jimmy riddle!

I have pens on prescription in the U.K. and brought out here when visitors come. The pens only have a short use by life - I was told by the doctor that the propellant used degenerates quite quickly, or it may just be the pharma companies trying for a higher turnover.

 

[sawadee1947]

What happened to the rest of the salad?

Probably gone immediately to the next bin.

So No proof possible

[Mr Meeseeks]

52 minutes ago, PaoloR said:

Epipens are banned in parts of Thailand - they were being emptied and the epinephrine used to make Yaba 

(epinephrine can be a precursor for methamphetamine)

Hospitals, doctors etc. will not provide one here  (I live in the South). I have to carry one at all times following hornet stings here in Thailand. I now go into anaphylactic shock if stung by a number of different creatures. (Thank goodness not scorpions as we have lots here and I have been stung a number of times). I really should ignore the no shoes in the house rule when taking my nightly jimmy riddle!

I have pens on prescription in the U.K. and brought out here when visitors come. The pens only have a short use by life - I was told by the doctor that the propellant used degenerates quite quickly, or it may just be the pharma companies trying for a higher turnover.

 

You can buy Epipens at Bumrrungrad hospital. Very expensive though.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Every once in a while I read such articles where a person almost died of a food allergy at a restaurant (not just in Thailand) - and they always make a big deal about how the restaurant is at fault - but this begs the question: if you are deathly allergic to anything why on earth would you trust your life in the hands of complete strangers? Sorry to blame the victim, but if I had such allergies I would never let anyone else cook for me unless I'm 100% sure I know what went in the dish.

Even getting my girlfriend to stop putting things like garlic (it causes diarrhea) in dishes has been mostly unsuccessful, so trusting strangers is just nuts (pun intended)...

[richard_smith237]

42 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

1 hour ago, PaoloR said:

Epipens are banned in parts of Thailand - they were being emptied and the epinephrine used to make Yaba 

(epinephrine can be a precursor for methamphetamine)

Hospitals, doctors etc. will not provide one here  (I live in the South). I have to carry one at all times following hornet stings here in Thailand. I now go into anaphylactic shock if stung by a number of different creatures. (Thank goodness not scorpions as we have lots here and I have been stung a number of times). I really should ignore the no shoes in the house rule when taking my nightly jimmy riddle!

I have pens on prescription in the U.K. and brought out here when visitors come. The pens only have a short use by life - I was told by the doctor that the propellant used degenerates quite quickly, or it may just be the pharma companies trying for a higher turnover.

 

Expand  

You can buy Epipens at Bumrrungrad hospital. Very expensive though.

As soon as PaoloR mentioned that Epipens are banned in ‘Parts’ of Thailand the legitimacy of his comments is questionable and likely based on hearsay. Laws don’t vary throughout the Kingdom. 

 

Either EpiPens are banned or they are not...  and they are not... They are available on prescription at most hospital pharmacies.. 

 

 

 

 

 

[androokery]

"So... this salad doesn't contain any prawns, shrimp or other seafood?"

"Yes."

"There are no prawns?"

"Yes."

 

I seem to recall there's an issue with posing negative questions to people in general. And to Thai people especially. Not saying that happened here though. 

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, androokery said:

"So... this salad doesn't contain any prawns, shrimp or other seafood?"

"Yes."

"There are no prawns?"

"Yes."

 

I seem to recall there's an issue with posing negative questions to people in general. And to Thai people especially. Not saying that happened here though. 

“Are there prawns in that Salad?"

“Mai Mee"

“Is that a Salad?"

“Mai Mee"

“Where is the Dessert station?"

“Mai Mee"

“What is your Name?"

“Mai Mee"

 

“oh flip, I just ate the Salad”  !!!!!......  "Epinephrine anyone?"

“Mai Mee... PaoloR said they are illegal in these parts” !!!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Train]

Yeah.....same thing happened to me at a high so restaurant in Phuket.   Warned the waitress I have a allergy to all seafood.  While everyone else dined I played it safe and ordered a chicken fried rice for myself.  The cook took it upon himself that it was a good idea to throw a bunch of crab in.

[chickenslegs]

Quote

... man's wife with prawn allergy nearly dies from buffet

Strange headline.

How about "woman with prawn allergy nearly dies from buffet".

[Caldera]

Who in their right mind has a life-threatening food allergy and goes to eat from a buffet?

 

Who in their right mind has a prawn allergy, but doesn't know what prawns look like?

 

"May contain traces of pretty much everything", that almost goes without saying at a buffet.

[siftasam]

3 true little stories:

 

I have a seafood allergy (which doesn't include fish thank God!). I ordered a pad thai and a salad in Black Canyon and stipulated, as I always do, that there be no seafood included. My Thai partner explained this also in Thai. The food arrived and it contained small prawns. The waitress said (in Thai!): "That's not seafood. They're prawns."

 

At a well-known bar/restaurant in Loi Kroh, I ordered a chicken salad. After eating it, I hadn't walked more than fifteen minutes to a car park before I was throwing up violently and repeatedly. I s**t myself and left a pile on the floor in the car park (which was thankfully dark and deserted). So who'd been cooking seafood and not cleaned the pan and changed the oil?

 

I've found that Thai people sometimes (often?) think they know better than you when it comes to food. Twice I've explained graphically that eating seafood makes me vomit and they've ordered it just the same. It was well hidden and the results were similarly violent.

 

I sympathize with this lady!

 

 

[richard_smith237]

55 minutes ago, siftasam said:

I've found that Thai people sometimes (often?) think they know better than you when it comes to food.

They just outright lie... 

 

My Wife has an allergy to MSG...  more than trace amounts and she feels anything from nausea to violently throwing up (but fortunately nothing worse than that).

 

Any time we are out in a Restaurant where a dish ‘may’ have MSG in it she will ask the waitress... not just a simple question, but impress upon the waitress that if there is MSG in the food it will make her throw up.

 

Almost half of the restaurants just outright lie, after the first ’sip’ or ’taste’ my Wife can quickly feel the MSG and stop eating the dish.

 

It gets to the stage now where we ask for the owner - When my Wife asks them, they say no, no MSG... 

I step in firmly, MSG will make my Wife sick...  IF there is MSG she will throw up, I will refused to pay....   its so funny to see the ’change in attitude’...  ohhh... there may be a little bit, but by accident !!!! 

 

They just lie.... the Chinese Thai restaurants are by far the worst for telling this lie...  perhaps because they use the most MSG in most of the dishes. 

 

 

 

 

 

[it is what it is]

 

if you have a serious food allergy carry an epipen, millions do. if you have doubts about food in a restaurant ask to speak to the chef.

[bbko]

8 hours ago, Leef said:

Lots of victim blaming on this page - regardless of how careless she was it is still the hotels responsibilty and they should stump up the insurance fees at the very least - it is also the hotels responsibilty to properly train staff.  

These days it seems there's so many people claiming to be allergic to seafood, peanuts, shellfish, gluten, soybeans, milk, eggs.  Are restaurants supposed to be held responsible for every person that has some sort of reaction?  Is there no sense of the person taking responsibility?  Every little food cart should now carry insurance to cover someone's allergies? 555.  Why aren't those with allergies taking responsibility and carrying a epipen?

[spermwhale]

13 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Strange story... If I eat I put it on my plate and I will see what's in  the food. Then when I eat I look on my spoon and I see what is on it..A whole shrimp can not be looked over I think. Not when i put salad on my plate, nor on my spoon....

Especially in a fruit and vegetable salad!!! 

[Lemsta69]

4 hours ago, siftasam said:

3 true little stories:

 

I have a seafood allergy (which doesn't include fish thank God!). I ordered a pad thai and a salad in Black Canyon and stipulated, as I always do, that there be no seafood included. My Thai partner explained this also in Thai. The food arrived and it contained small prawns. The waitress said (in Thai!): "That's not seafood. They're prawns."

 

At a well-known bar/restaurant in Loi Kroh, I ordered a chicken salad. After eating it, I hadn't walked more than fifteen minutes to a car park before I was throwing up violently and repeatedly. I s**t myself and left a pile on the floor in the car park (which was thankfully dark and deserted). So who'd been cooking seafood and not cleaned the pan and changed the oil?

 

I've found that Thai people sometimes (often?) think they know better than you when it comes to food. Twice I've explained graphically that eating seafood makes me vomit and they've ordered it just the same. It was well hidden and the results were similarly violent.

 

I sympathize with this lady!

 

 

being Aussie, I've long wondered what the difference between prawns and shrimp was. ever since the Paul Hogan "throw a shrimp on the barbie" tourism ad for the US market following his Crocodile Dundee rise to fame (we use the term prawn for both species). 

 

I decided to look it up a few months ago and apparently shrimp are exclusively salt water creatures but prawns live in fresh or brackish water. so maybe the young lady was on to something ????

Edited May 16, 2022 by Lemsta69

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

However, she soon bit into a whole prawn, half of which she spat out immediately, half of which went down.

For someone with a potentially fatal allergy, one has to ask why did she chomp down before looking as to what was on her fork?

Never trust what a waiter says.

[bbko]

6 hours ago, Thunglom said:

let's hope instant karma kicks in and they get a taste of their own medicine.

Perhaps this lady's incident was karma getting back at her?  Mmmmm? 

[SomchaiCNX]

17 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

No, but there is a legal requirement that their staff do not lie to their customers, and the hotel is responsible for their staff.

Thais never lie, however; they mostly don't tell the complete story, hence that's why we have all these "misunderstandings"

[RJRS1301]

15 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

Try the Surf and Turf.  

 

I'm vegan and will die if I eat anything called Surf or Turf or Lobster or any meat or anything on a plate!!!  

 

Special Price, 200 baht.

 

OK.  

 

 

do you graze from a dog bowl instead of a plate?

[Sydebolle]

Get her a pair of reading glasses and note down the entire happening - perfect material for yet another episode of a Thai soap opera. Poor wife, caring helpless husband, confused waiter and arrogant pr1ck of a hotel manager/owner. 

Next please!